Local officials are trying to figure out how to solve a trash problem at Jeju International Airport. Mountains of refuse are piling up in the international terminal. So far, there’s no agreement on how to fix the situation. Joseph Kim has more.

Report

INTERVIEW
Airport sanitation worker
It’s an awful mess. We have to collect trash nonstop. Tons of trash, it’s unimaginable.
<인터뷰 : 제주공항 용역업체 관계자>
"말도 못해요. 안에서... 몇 사람이 쓰레기를 담는데 정신없이 담아요. 상상할 정도가 못돼요. 그거 보면 오일장도 그런 오일장이..."

Trash at the international terminals of the Jeju International Airport has become an urgent issue.

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‘Serious’ trash problem in international terminal

In front of the busy pick-up area for duty free products, is a mountain of garbage mostly dumped by Chinese tourists.

Most of the trash consists of wrappers and boxes from duty free purchases.

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Waste generated at airport climbs 27% annually

As an increasing number of tourists visit the island, the total amount of waste at the airport has grown by 27 percent every year on average.

The Provincial Council held a discussion with relevant organizations on the trash issue.

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‘KAC should do more to help’
Councillors argue that the Korea Airports Corporation, Korea Duty Free Association, Shilla Duty Free and Lotte Duty Free have a responsibility for the matter by the causer pays principle.

They emphasized that the Korea Airports Corporation which manages the facility should contribute to efforts to solve the trash problem.

Recording
Go Jeong-sik / Provincial council representative
This problem happens inside the airport, so the Korea Airports Corporation also has to figure out a solution. On the other hand, we should consider ways to reduce the amount of trash.
<싱크: 고정식/ 제주도의회 의원>
"공항 안에서 일어난 문제들은 공항공사에서 어떤 수단과 방법을 가리지 말고 정리를 하는 것이 하나의 문제 해결이고, 이런 많이 발생되는 자체를 어떻게 하면 좀 줄일 수 있는지..."

The Korea Airports Corporation began its excuse by telling about its effort to increase the number of sanitation workers from three to twenty one.

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KAC says province needs to review duty-free pick-up locations

And the corporation made unrealistic suggestions and deflected responsibility.

The KAC argued that the province needed to consider ways in which international visitors would be able to pick up their purchases at duty free shops immediately.

Recording
Kim Tae-su / Representative, Korea Airports Corporation
The province can revise the customs law or the Jeju Special Law to allow foreigners with passports and boarding passes to directly pick up their purchases when they make them outside of the airport.
<싱크: 김태수/ 한국공항공사 제주지역본부 운영단장>
"외국인 중에 여권과 출발항공권을 소지한 승객에 한해서는 시내면세점에서 바로 물품이 인도될 수 있도록 관세법 규정을 신설하거나 제주특별자치법을 개정하거나..."

The Korea Airports Corporation makes enormous earnings from rent of its facility to duty free shops and airport service charges from travelers.

[Reporter] Joseph Kim
[Camera] Park Byeong-joon

However, the corporation isn’t even willing to lift a finger to help solve the trash problem at its facility.

Joseph Kim, KCTV